


The Adventures of SKZ

by OurJihoonie



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friendship, M/M, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, University
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-03-27 14:43:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19015018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurJihoonie/pseuds/OurJihoonie
Summary: Various oneshots for the members of Stray Kids!Uncommon pairings will be spelt outCommon pairing index:WC - WooChanMS - MinSungCL - ChanglixHM - HyunminHI - HyuninSI - SeunginAlso cross posted on my Stray Kids Amino account under the username OurJisung.





	1. [MS] Of Caramel Macchiatos and Awkward Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> In which Jisung tried out a new cafe in his campus and meets an angel.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jisung tries out the new cafe on the campus and meets the barista, Minho. Just your regular cliche fluff fic.

Jisung peered into the bustling café, debating on whether or not he should go in. Adjusting the bag on his shoulder, he looked around for an empty seat. Most of the students were finishing up their drinks and leaving, seeing as lunch break was almost over. 

 

Jisung had finished all his lectures for the day and wanted to try out the new café that had opened recently. 

 

The door swung open as students poured out, laughing and talking as they headed back to the main building. 

 

Jisung slunk into the small café, sighing as the warmth of the heaters engulfed him. He glanced over the menu before getting into the short line.

 

The place had cleared out in a matter of seconds, leaving only a few stragglers hanging around. Soon enough, Jisung was at the front of the line and he promptly dropped his books.

 

Cursing under his breath, he stooped over to gather his books and bounced a few times to get everything balanced. When everything was stable, he got up and looked at the barista out of the corner of his eye, still trying to see that nothing would fall again.

 

“Welcome to Bang's Cafe, what would you like to order?” 

 

Jisung looked up and his breath caught in his throat as he stared at the angel in front of him.

 

“Uhm… yes” 

 

The barista raised an eyebrow and commented, “I'm sorry, we don't sell 'yes’ here.”

 

Jisung got to his senses and avoided eye contact, obviously embarrassed at his reaction. He eyed the menu on the counter, mentally kicking himself for making a fool of himself in front of a cute boy.

 

He cleared his dry throat and mumbled, “I'll have a large caramel macchiato with whipped cream.” 

 

The barista Jisung identified as 'Minho’ from his nametag hummed and tapped on the cash register in front of him.

 

“That'll be $4.20. Can I get your name?” 

 

Jisung fumbled with his wallet and pulled out a five dollar note, his books slowly slipping from his arms.

 

“Jisung. Thanks.” He arranged his books again before giving Minho an awkward smile. 

 

Minho nodded and started preparing the drink, making small talk with Jisung as he did so.

 

“So, what course are you taking? I'm guessing you take some art subject?” 

 

“Yeah, I take music. How'd you know that?”

 

“Well for starters, your textbooks. And the art students have their afternoons free most of the time.”

 

Oh yeah. Jisung stared down at his heavy textbooks and sighed. 

 

“What about you? You need quite a bit of free time to be a part timer here huh.”

 

“I'm doing dance. I mostly work the afternoon shifts, but it depends on my schedule.”

 

Jisung nodded at this, leaving them in an awkward silence as he eyed Minho. 

 

“Why don't you go take a seat first? I'll call you when it's done. Don't want you dropping your books again.”

 

Jisung blinked and mumbled a thanks to Minho before heading to one of the corner seats next to a window. Setting down his books, he sighed again before sitting down and opening up his laptop.

 

He plugged in his headphones and got to work, eyes darting across the screen as he adjusted the melodies and beats.

 

He looked up as Minho came carrying his drink and a pastry.

 

“I didn't order-”

 

“Who said it was for you?” Minho placed the drink beside Jisung's laptop and took a seat in the opposite seat, setting down the plate in front of him.

 

Jisung just stared at him questioningly, his hands frozen over his keyboard.

 

“What? There's no one here. I'm just taking a rest.” Minho took a bite of his pastry and motioned for Jisung to continue with what he was doing.

 

Jisung obeyed, taking a sip of his drink before once again diving into his world of music. After adjusting everything, he sat back and played the song again. He smiled, satisfied for the moment.

 

He looked up and was met with the sight of Minho looking out the window, twirling a fork in his hand. The light hit his features at just the right angle, making it seem like he was glowing.

 

Jisung's glance flitted over Minho's features, his long eyelashes, his chocolate brown eyes, his perfect nose, down to his soft cheeks and lush pink lips.

 

Jisung was captivated, Minho was like a sculpture, built to perfection. His brown locks fell perfectly over his eyes- 

 

Wait. He was looking at Jisung. Mission abort-

 

Jisung quickly looked away and took a huge gulp of his drink.

 

Minho merely watched, amused as the younger tried to avoid all eye contact. He set down his fork onto the table gently as he leaned back in the chair, still staring pointedly at Jisung. 

 

Jisung pretended to continue working on his song, regretting all his life choices as he peered over his laptop to see Minho smiling down at him. 

 

“What are you working on?” Minho tilted his head and tried to look over the laptop. 

 

“Just a song for an assignment.” Jisung mumbled, eyes not leaving the screen. 

 

“Really, could I listen to it?” Minho smiled, leaning forward a little. Jisung stared at him in surprise and backed away slightly. He nodded hesitantly and shifted the laptop so Minho could see it. 

 

Pulling out the headphones, he looked around and was relieved and shocked to find that everyone else had vacated the café. Which meant he was alone with Minho. 

 

The thought alone made his cheeks flush before he scolded himself. 

 

You've only just met him, why are you being like this?!

 

Jisung tried to calm his racing heart as he reached over to hit the play button. As the song progressed, Jisung watched Minho’s expression, needing some sort of approval. 

 

Minho seemed to be concentrated on the song, eyes not moving from the screen as he tapped his finger to the beat. The song fading out, Minho looked up and shot Jisung a smile, almost giving him a heart attack. 

 

Why am I so whipped for him? Jisung questioned himself as he brought his laptop back in front of him. 

 

“That was great. Man, I don't know how you music kids make such good stuff.” Minho grinned, sitting back in his seat. 

 

Jisung smiled weakly and took another gulp of his drink, disappointed to find that he had already drained the cup. 

 

“Hey, you have some cream on your face. Here, I'll get it for you.” 

 

Jisung stiffened as Minho reached over and swiped at the corner of his lip before wiping his thumb on his pants. 

 

Jisung felt his cheeks heat up as he sputtered out, “Wha- are you trying to flirt with me?”

 

“And what if I am?” Minho smirked, making Jisung even more flustered. 

 

Their moment was ruined when the bell at the door rang in signal of someone coming in. Minho sat up and called out, “Welcome to Bang's Café!” 

 

He was about to get up when he saw who had come in and slumped back in his seat. 

 

“Oh, it's just you.”

 

“Hey Jisung, Minho what are you doing here. And what kind of attitude is that toward your boss?”

 

Minho rolled his eyes and sighed, “But there's no one here-, let me take a break.”

 

Chan shot him a glare before disappearing into the back. 

 

Jisung looked at the clock hanging on the opposite wall and gasped, making Minho look at him questioningly. 

 

“I have to go, I forgot that I was meeting my friend.” Jisung smiled apologetically at Minho as he saved his work again before shutting down his laptop and shoving it into his bag. 

 

Minho nodded and got up, stretching before he cleared the table and headed back to the counter. 

 

As Jisung headed out the door, Minho called out, “Thanks for your patronage! Do come again.”

 

Jisung smiled to himself.

 

'I will, don't worry’

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. [CL] Send Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Changbin needs a little help and has to call Felix.

Felix woke up to the sound of his phone ringing, ‘Fancy’ resounding around the dark room. He let out a yawn and rolled over to see who was calling him at 3am in the morning. When he saw the name on the display, he sat up and cleared his throat a little. 

 

“Hello? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?” Felix’s voice cracked a little, still sounding sleepy. 

 

“Did I wake you up? I’m so sorry-”

 

“No, it’s fine. Do you need something?” 

 

“Actually-”

 

“Hmm?”   
  


A sigh emitted from the other end of the phone before Changbin spoke again. 

 

“So, I’ve been craving a snack the whole day, but that snack happens to be on the top shelf…” He trailed off, obviously embarrassed. 

 

Felix stifled a giggle and prompted, “And?” 

 

“... and I can’t reach it…. Can you come over to help?” Changbin spoke barely over a whisper. 

 

Felix burst into giggles as he pictured Changbin standing helplessly in front of a shelf of snacks. “Why don’t you just ask the cashier or something? You know I’ll take some time to go over.” 

 

“I’m embarrassed ok?! Of course, you don’t have to, I just thought…” 

 

“No no I’m coming. Which store are you at?” Felix smiled to himself, already clambering out of his bed and throwing on some clothes. 

 

“The small supermarket right in front of my house. How long would you take?” 

 

“Maybe around 10? I’ll try to rush but I can’t guarantee.” 

 

“Sounds good. See you in a while then.” 

 

“Got it~” Felix hung up before grabbing his essentials and heading out the door. The cool night breeze blew on Felix’s already unkempt hair, making it look like he walked through a hurricane. He hummed a song to himself as he walked through the silent streets of his neighbourhood, only the occasional sound of a car zooming by emitting from a distance. 

 

Felix had never been up and about at 3am in the morning, and it surprised him how serene and calm it all was. It felt like he was the only one awake to see what the night had to offer, the cold winds and the dark shelters. He walked briskly toward the market, not wanting to keep Changbin waiting. 

 

Soon enough, he reached the place, the store the only source of light other than a lamp post and the natural light of the moon. He walked into the market, the bell ringing merrily. The cashier sat at the counter, looking bored as he scrolled through his phone. He barely looked up as Felix walked past him and started looking around for Changbin. 

 

“Oh! You’re here, thank god. The snacks are on aisle 6, just help me grab the cheeseballs. I’ll treat you to some snacks too as thanks for coming all the way.” Changbin smiled, his ears tinged red. 

 

Felix just laughed softly and nodded, heading toward the aisle. Once there, he scanned the shelves for the cheeseballs and reached up to grab them. Only the shelves were a little too tall. Felix stared in disbelief at the top shelf which had beat him in terms of height. What could he do? He didn’t want to risk bringing down the whole shelf by trying to jump and grab it. But it was  _ just _ barely out of reach, and that seemed the only not as embarrassing option. 

 

Felix hopped on his toes, fingers grazing the plastic packaging. He sighed and prepared himself to jump a little more, ensuring that he wouldn’t use too much strength while doing so. As he jumped, he caught onto the bag of cheeseballs and pulled it towards him, as well as a good handful of the snacks. He made quite the ruckus as the bags fell around him. 

 

Before anyone could come check on him, he quickly grabbed the bags and shoved them onto a lower shelf, turning to go back to Changbin. He could hear the cashier’s tired sigh as he saw Felix’s handiwork before the rustling of plastic signalled the rearrangement of the mess he made. 

 

When he returned to where Changbin was, he got a raised eyebrow at the noise he had caused. Felix merely shrugged and tossed the bag of cheeseballs into the basket. He made some excuse about wanting more fresh air despite only being in the market for about 5 minutes before literally running out of the store. The cool air hit him in the face as he escaped the warmths and embarrassment of the market. He couldn’t forgive how he had almost been overcome by the sheer height of the top shelf, making his trip here useless. Well, not really, seeing that he got to spend some quality time with Changbin. 

 

Once Changbin had finished paying, he suggested for Felix to stay over for the night, which was exactly what Felix had been wanting. They cuddled up on Changbin’s couch, the snacks they bought earlier sprawled all over the table. 

 

“Lix?”

“Yeah?” Felix lt out a sigh as he relished Changbin’s warmth, making him feel cozy inside.

 

“Thanks for coming all the way for the stupid reason. That was really embarrassing.” Changbin nuzzled Felix’s hair, sighing in content. 

 

“Anything for you. I thought it was pretty cute to be honest.” Felix giggled as Changbin’s face flushed a little, the older playfully hitting him on the shoulder. 

 

“Hey, if it meant getting to spend time with you, I’d come out at 3am anytime.” Felix mummered playfully, making Changbin smile softly. 

 

“Maybe to spend time with you was the reason I called you.” Changbin whispered, his words barely audible. 

 

Felix perked up at this and he looked straight into Changbin’s eyes. “What did you say? You mean to say all that was just a set up for getting me to come over?” 

 

“And what if it is?” Changbin grinned.

 

“You sneaky-” Felix sighed, settling down again in Changbin’s arms. 

 

They sat there in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

 

“Y’know, you’re really warm.” Felix sighed.

 

“Go on.”

 

“What?”

 

“Continue complimenting me.” 

 

Felix stifled a laugh but obliged, “Well, when I’m with you, I always feel really warm and fuzzy inside. You always know how to make me laugh and how to cheer me up when I’m down. You seem to know exactly how I’m feeling at any given time, even when I put up a facade you can see right through me and tell I’m hiding my real feelings. You always make an effort to spend time with me, like now, and I think that that’s really nice of you. Not to mention how good you look and how many talents you have… The list goes on and on.” Felix smiled to himself, cuddling closer to Changbin.

 

“I-” Felix looked up to see Changbin blushing furiously, a sight of which he found adorable. 

 

“I didn’t think you’d take that seriously, but thanks. Though honestly I’m not that good-”

 

He was interrupted by Felix clamping a hand over his mouth and scolding, “Don’t you dare say that about yourself. You’re amazing and everyone knows it. It’s about time you realise it too.” 

 

“I- well ok then…” Changbin smiled tiredly, placing a soft peck on Felix’s forehead. Felix’s heart fluttered a little at the gesture and he lay back down, contended. 

 

He was drifting off when he felt Changbin carry him up, setting him down on a much more comfortable surface. 

 

“Sweet dreams, love.” 


	3. [MS] Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Minho gets rejected and goes to Jisung for comfort.

The rain falling from the sky seemed to perfectly symbolise Minho’s feelings, the cold rain mixing with the salty tears rolling down his face. Minho looked up at the sky, blinking as the rain fell into his eyes. Sighing, he continued down the street, clothes getting soaked by the freezing rain. Silent tears continued falling, watching as the sky darkened and the rain came pouring down even more. The street was empty save for Minho, everyone sensibly waiting out the rain in shelter. Minho traced the familiar path down to the apartment complex he knew as well as his own. 

 

Shivering a bit, he entered the building, letting out another ragged sigh as he ascended the stairs. His clothes dripped water all over the spotless floor, Minho silently apologizing to the cleaner as he trailed his way to the door. Pressing the doorbell, he tried to compose himself as he waited for Jisung to open the door. 

 

“Coming!” Minho could hear Jisung running towards the door, “Who is it-?”

 

The door opened, Jisung’s cheerful expression quickly changing into one of concern as he took in the sight of Minho. 

 

"What happened- oh my god are you crying?" Minho allowed himself to be dragged into Jisung's cozy apartment, the warmth making him feel a little better. Jisung started fretting over him, bringing him a change of clothes and going to prepare a drink. 

 

Before Jisung could step into the kitchen, Minho grabbed his hand, making him turn around in surprise. 

 

"Jisung…" Minho sighed, sniffling, "Can I have a hug?"

 

Jisung stood there in shock, the behaviour very unlike Minho. Still, he complied, pulling Minho into a tight hug. He could feel his clothes getting wet, but that didn't matter to him when his boyfriend was upset. Running his hand through Minho's hair, Jisung started humming a comforting tune and rocking back and forth. 

 

Jisung's added warmth and familiar smell made Minho realise how much he missed him. He hadn't seen him for a whole two days! Minho tried to calm himself down, hiding his face in Jisung's neck, engulfing the younger boy with his embrace. 

 

The breath on Jisung's neck made him giggle a little, the sound music to Minho's ears. They stood there for a while, Minho still dripping water onto the floor. Minho got himself to calm down a little and let out a little sneeze. Jisung pulled away and looked Minho head to toe. Minho shivered a little at the loss of warmth as Jisung sighed and pushed some clothes to him. 

 

As Minho changed out of his soaked clothes, Jisung cleaned up the floor and made some hot cocoa for the both of them. Humming a song under his breath, he brought the drinks out and placed them on the table, making sure not to spill any. As he was going to turn and go check on Minho, arms encircled him from behind and a head rested on his shoulder. 

 

"Are you ok now?" Jisung leant back into Minho's embrace, Minho just humming in response.

 

"You want to talk about it, love?" Jisung whispered. Minho sighed and replied, "In a while. Let me enjoy myself for a while."

 

Jisung hummed, rubbing reassuring circles onto Minho's hand with his thumb. Seeing Jisung's slightly red ears, Minho chuckled and blew onto them, making the younger jump.

 

"Wha- what was that for?" Jisung turned to face his boyfriend.

 

"It's nothing, you really haven't changed since we first met, huh? We've been dating for so long and you still get flustered over the smallest things. I still remember how embarrassed you were when you were showing me your music, which was great by the way." Minho smiled at the memory, resting his chin on Jisung's shoulder.

 

"Ok ok enough of that." Jisung huffed and pulled away, his plump cheeks dusted pink. 

 

"Come on, I made us some drinks." Jisung picked up the drinks and passed one to Minho. The two plopped onto the couch, savouring their drinks in the comfortable silence that fell over them. 

 

Once both of them finished up their drinks, they continued sitting there, Jisung leaning over and resting on Minho's shoulder.

 

"So," Jisung broke the silence, "Do you want to tell me what happened just now?" 

 

Minho grimaced a little, mumbling, "It's a little dumb…"

 

"That's fine. Spill."

 

"Ok so, you know I went to visit my parents and cats. When I was going to leave, I wanted to pick up Dori and hold her for a while but she scratched me and jumped off. I don't know why I was so hurt by that, maybe because I'm stressed about college and all, but I started crying. Before I knew it, I couldn't stop, so I quickly left." Minho's volume lowered as he went on.

 

Jisung chuckled a little before turning to face Minho. "It is a little dumb, but it's ok to cry sometimes, you don't have to be so embarrassed by it. You're just stressed and Dori's rejection was the last straw. You feeling better now?"

 

"I am. Thanks to you at least." Minho ruffled Jisung's hair, the younger protesting weakly.

 

Before long, the two were back in their comfortable silence, Jisung still resting on Minho's shoulder.

 

"You know what, maybe I'll stay the night. Is that ok?" Minho let out a small sigh.

 

Hearing no response, he turned to find that Jisung had dozed off.

 

Smiling to himself, Minho leant back into the couch, humming to himself.

 

"Good night, Jisung."


	4. [WC] Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chan's a little sick and Woojin came over to help nurse him back to health.

Chan woke up to a pounding headache, making him curl up on his bed in pain. He slowly sat up in his bed, blinking out the black spots that clouded over his sight. His forehead was burning up, which was a problem since he had to finish up his assignment. He went through his morning routine sluggishly, the pain making him stop and stand in place every so often. He heaved himself to the couch in the living room after grabbing a piece of bread, too in pain to make anything more elaborate. 

 

'I should probably take some pain meds…' Chan nibbled at his bread. After he finished his humble meal, he got out some meds and took them, sighing as he did so. His head still pounding, he made his way into his room and pulled out his laptop. He started working on his music, the pounding in his head subsiding a little. He found it hard to focus, occasionally scrapping the entire composition and redoing it. By his third redo, almost 2 hours had passed and he was getting nowhere. The pain in his head came back a little and he shivered, pulling a cushion over himself. He sat back into the couch, letting out another sigh. 

 

He jumped a little when his phone started ringing and he groaned, reaching over to grab his phone. 

 

“Hello?” Chan cringed at how croaky his voice sounded.

 

“Chan? Are you ok? You sound sick.” Woojin’s voice rang out, his voice angelic in Chan’s mind. 

 

“No, I’m fine. I think. Do you need something?” 

 

“Chan, you are not fine. I was going to propose a date but scrap that. I’m coming over. And you better not be doing any work when I get there.” 

 

“Woojin, I-”

 

“No excuses Chan. I’m coming over, just sit tight.” Before Chan could reply, Woojin hung up. 

 

Chan sat there for a while, pondering over whether to listen to Woojin. He felt mostly fine, other than the small headache. He decided to quickly get his composition done before Woojin came to check on him. He patted his face a few times to get himself to focus and started work again, wracking his brain to think up new melodies and matching harmonies. He soon found himself falling asleep, accidentally adding random notes and sounds as he fell asleep and snapped awake. He sighed again, running his hand through his hair as he gave up, closing his laptop. 

 

Soon enough, the doorbell rang and Woojin let himself in with his spare key. Peeking in, Woojin sighed as he saw Chan sprawled out on the couch. He set down a plastic bag onto the table and padded over to where Chan was laying. 

 

“Hey.” Chan cracked a tired smile. Woojin just rolled his eyes and sat next to him, immediately trying to diagnose what the problem was. He set his hand on Chan’s forehead and withdrew it in shock. 

 

“Chan, you’re burning up! Why are you still up?” Woojin hit him lightly before picking him up, surprising Chan on the way, and bringing him back into his room. Chan giggled a little at this, with Woojin lightly scolding him under his breath. He set Chan down gently onto the bed before heading out of the room to get more things. He returned with an armful of things and set them down on the bedside table. 

 

Woojin set out taking care of Chan, measuring his temperature and placing a cool wet cloth on his forehead, all while scolding Chan for not taking care of himself. He fed Chan his medicine and hummed under his breath to calm him down. Chan soon felt drowsy, his consciousness slipping. He still had a nagging thought to finish up his music, but he knew that Woojin would never allow it under his watch. Chan resigned to rest, allowing his body to relax and fall asleep. 

 

When he woke up, he already felt much better and the savoury smell wafting into his room stimulated his stomach, making it growl. He lay there for a while, not feeling up to getting up just yet. Luckily for him, Woojin came in with a steaming bowl of soup a short while after Chan woke up. 

 

“Morning Channie.” Woojin smiled, setting the bowl down and sitting beside the bed. He ran a hand through Chan’s hair, pushing the sweaty hair away from his face. 

 

“You feeling better? I’ve made some chicken soup if you’re up for it.” His hand stayed on Chan’s head, rubbing comforting circles into it. Chan nodded, nuzzling his head into Woojin’s hand. Woojin helped Chan to sit up and Chan reached over for the bowl before Woojin slapped his hand away. 

 

“Nope, what happens if you drop the bowl? I’m not going to clean up for you. Here, let me do it.” Woojin then proceeded to scoop up some soup and blow on it before feeding it to Chan. Chan, embarrassed, hesitated a little before drinking the soup and letting out a sigh. He finished the soup quickly and felt much better. Woojin left to clean up, leaving Chan to lie there and stone. 

 

When Woojin returned, Chan smiled at him and motioned for him to go over. Woojin complied, raising an eyebrow at Chan. Chan grabbed Woojin's hand and started rubbing it, before taking a deep breath. Woojin just stared at him, a little concerned at his silence. 

 

"Thank you for taking care of me." Chan looked away shyly, still holding on to Woojin's hand. Woojin looked at him, a little shocked. He soon enough overcame his shock and smiled, squeezing Chan's hand in response. 

 

"Anytime."

 

 


	5. [-]meow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Minho's cat, Hyunjin turns into a human. How will Minho react?

The little kitten awoke, yawning as he stretched in his bed. Wait, what happened to his bed? The kitten scrambled up to find that he was in a box outside, his mother and siblings nowhere to be seen. He whimpered a little, unsure of what to do in his new surroundings. He decided to lay low and wait for his owner to come back for him, which they never did. 

 

As he shivered in his open box, the kitten heard footsteps and perked up, eyes wide with hope. He was met with an unfamiliar face, the man who was walking by stopped and looked at the little kitten. 

 

"How can they abandon such a small kitten? Do they have no sympathy?" The man sighed and muttered under his breath. Gently, he picked up the kitten and continued on his way. The kitten didn't know what was happening but decided not to anger the man by struggling. 

 

"What's your name little one? Where'd you come from?" The man whispered to the kitten, adjusting him so that he could see better. Lifting the tag on his collar, the man read out, "Hyunjin, huh? I guess that's your name?"

 

Hyunjin perked up at this, recognizing the sound of his name. 

 

The man smiled softly and pet Hyunjin's head, "I guess so. My name's Minho, and I'll take care of you from now on." Hyunjin purred in response, rubbing his head on Minho's hand. 

 

Minho grinned at this, vowing in his heart to love the little kitten. 

 

**———**

 

"Hyunjin, get off the fridge!" Minho shouted at the cat, who just stared back, a glint in his eye. 

 

"How'd you even get up there? I swear to god you guys are going to be the death of me." Minho ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. At this time, Hyunjin decided to jump onto Minho, making him hold up his hands in surprise. Hyunjin used this to propel himself forward, landing gracefully on the floor. Minho, on the other hand, fell down hard, a grunt escaping his lips as he impacted with the floor. 

 

"Seriously?" Minho rolled his eyes at the cat, getting a meow in response. Dori came over to see what the commotion was about, but decided that she was tired all of a sudden. She clambered onto Minho's lap and plopped down, resting her head on his thigh. With another sigh, Minho picked Dori up gently, nudging Hyunjin out of the way as he went over to the living room and put Dori into the bed he bought her. 

 

"All this money I spend for your beds and you still prefer sleeping on mine." Minho grumbled under his breath as he watched Dori get up from the bed and head into Minho's bedroom. He let out a yawn and stretched, checking the time on the clock hanging on the wall. 

 

"I should probably go to bed soon…" Minho headed back to his room where his cats were all getting comfortable. 

 

"Seriously guys? You couldn't even leave a space for me?" Minho pushed Soonie aside to make space for himself, making the four cats squeeze into a corner. He was pretty much used to them all clambering on his bed at some point in the night, giving him half of the bed at best. "Good night kids." Minho hummed as he switched off the lights and lay back on his bed. Sensing one of the cats crawling up to him, he grabbed it before it could sit on his chest and cut off his circulation. 

 

"Hyunjin? That you?" Minho peeked at the grey cat, who curled up in Minho's grip, eyes closing. A soft smile found its way onto Minho's face and he gently stroked Hyunjin's head. Minho fell asleep in this position, the warmth of his cats keeping him cozy in his cramped bed. 

 

**———**

 

Minho awoke to the sound of his cats meowing at each other, squabbling over something or other. He rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut to try and get more sleep in before he was met with a solid body. Wait. What?

 

Minho sat up quickly, too quickly. He blinked the spots out of his eyes and stared at the tall boy laying on his bed, sleeping soundly. 

 

"Who- What? I didn't do anything yesterday… All I remember is sleeping with my cats as usual…" He tried waking the boy by shaking him and shouting at him, but the boy just shoved his face into the blankets and continued snoozing. Minho, still shocked, decided that he had to wait for the boy to wake up before he could ask any questions, which did not seem an easy task. 

 

He sighed and left the boy to sleep, going about his daily routine. Soonie and Doongie were, in fact, fighting over some chew toy which ended up going to Dori anyway, making them a little grumpy. He greeted them all and went about preparing breakfast for himself and his cats. Setting their bowls on the floor, he looked around for Hyunjin, who was nowhere to be found. 

 

'Maybe he's still sleeping, he does love his naps.' Minho shrugged it off and ate his sandwich as he watched his cats gobble down their food. He stole a look at the clock, sighing when he saw how late he had slept in. He set up his laptop and started working on his project, stopping every once in a while to take a chip from the bag sitting on the table. At around 11, he stretched and decided to take a break from studying. 

 

'I wonder who that boy is… He should be awake by now right? Also,, where in the world is Hyunjin?' Minho got up from his seat and headed back to his bedroom. 

 

The boy was surprisingly still sound asleep, having adjusted himself to sprawl over the entire bed. Minho sighed and shook him again, calling at him. This time, the boy woke, albeit slowly, and stared at him as he blinked slowly. 

 

"Just let me sleep more…" The boy turned around and was about to close his eyes again when Minho stopped him and turned him back around. 

 

"Who are you and what are you doing in my bed??" Minho questioned. 

 

"What do you mean? I'm Hyunjin." Hyunjin looked at Minho, obviously confused. 

 

"You're…" Minho trailed off as he looked closer at the boy. He had the little spot under his left eye, just like his cat Hyunjin had. His cat had been taller than the others, despite being the youngest of the 4 and this boy was definitely tall. Could he really be Hyunjin…?

 

"What were you doing last night?" Minho sat down heavily on the bed, Hyunjin obviously annoyed by the questioning and wanting to catch more sleep. 

 

"Huh? I was annoying you by sitting on top of the fridge? Then Dori came by and you brought her to her bed which she obviously didn't sleep in. Then I came here and we slept. Can you let me sleep now?" Hyunjin grumbled. 

 

So he really was his cat… Minho didn't really know what to make of it, but he didn't really have any other solution other than letting Hyunjin stay. He couldn't just abandon the cat-turned-human, seeing that he didn't have any experience as a human and would probably not survive on his own. 

 

"No, you can't sleep Hyunjin. 

Come here, you need to put on some clothes and eat your breakfast.” Minho pulled Hyunjin out from under the covers and turned to get some clothes for him. Seeing that Hyunjin was a good 7cm taller than him, Minho got out the baggiest clothes he had for Hyunjin. Seeing that Hyunjin had never worn clothes before, Minho got him dressed as best as he could, which reminded him of the time he spent working at a kindergarten. 

 

The clothes fit Hyunjin comfortably, though the jeans were a little tight on him. Hyunjin hadn’t really seemed fazed that he was a different species altogether, which surprised Minho a little. When he brought Hyunjin to get some food, he went straight for his kitty bowl before Minho pulled him away. 

 

“Hyunjin, you’re not a cat anymore, come here I’ll get you some food.” Minho sighed.

 

“What’s a cat?” Hyunjin followed Minho to the kitchen. 

 

“It’s what you were before you changed into a human, however that is. Here, Soonie’s a cat.” Minho picked up Soonie, who had just wandered into the kitchen. Soonie growled, annoyed, and smacked Minho before jumping off. Minho blinked, a little shocked at being assaulted, earning a snicker from Hyunjin. 

 

"Stop laughing! Come on, if you don't I won't give you food." Minho grumbled as he rummaged through his fridge, getting out food for the still giggling Hyunjin. 

 

Hyunjin dug into Minho's homemade cup noodles with gusto, slurping up like it was the best thing he had in his life, which it probably was, there wasn't that much variety in cat food. Minho went back to his work, already accepting his new crazy life. As he typed on his laptop, he saw Hyunjin staring at him from the corner of his eye. After a while, Hyunjin crept over closer to Minho and suddenly crawled across the table, slumping onto Minho's laptop. 

 

"Uhm… Hyunjin? Can you get off?" Hyunjin merely stared at him innocently and stayed put. 

 

"Hyunjin, this is not acceptable human behaviour." Minho sighed and pushed him off the keyboard, the latter grumbling. Hyunjin had always loved sleeping on Minho's laptop as he worked, but it was a little weird seeing a person do so. Minho had to delete a long string of h's Hyunjin had typed into his essay. 

 

He went about his day normally, Hyunjin occupying himself by doing the usual cat stuff, lying on the floor and fighting with the other cats. Only this time Hyunjin didn't have claws and he was much bigger than the others, so it was more like he was wrestling with them. 

 

When Minho was lounging on the couch watching a drama, Hyunjin came over and figured out the best way to lay down in his lap, being unable to have his full body fit. In the end, he settled with resting his head in his lap, the rest of his body on the couch. Minho let him be, not really having the heart to push him off, although he usually only reserved his lap for Jisung. Speaking of which, Jisung would probably ask about him. That would be hard to explain… 

 

Minho looked down at the slumbering boy in his lap and unconsciously started stroking his hair. Hyunjin smiled softly and nuzzles his head into Minho's hand. Minho couldn't help but smile at the boy. He would have to teach Hyunjin the ways of a human, which would be like teaching a child. Which Hyunjin mentally was he guessed. Oh well, he would figure something out. 


	6. [JeongSung] On the Little Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not really a romance;  
> 6 year old prince of Stayare, Jeongin, makes a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn I really haven't posted anything in a while-

Giggling to himself, Jeongin peered through the crack between the doors, watching as his butler hustled about, trying to look for him. 

 

“Jeongin? Come on young master, don't keep your parents waiting! Why do you always have to trouble me like this?” Felix sighed, peering under the bed and behind the curtains. 

 

“Jeongin~ If you don't come out soon, I'm going to get you~” Jeongin muffled a squeal of excitement as he watched Felix inch closer to the closet he was hiding in. 

 

“Gotcha!” Felix threw open the cupboard doors and caught Jeongin as he flew out, struggling to get out of his captor's hands. Laughing, Felix sat him on the bed and scolded him gently. 

 

“Stop fidgeting, Jeongin. You know what your teacher thinks about that.” Felix's neat uniform was a little messy due to Jeongin's scrambling and Jeongin watched as he patted down his uniform. 

 

“Let's get you changed, young master.” Felix grinned, receiving a huge one in return. Humming a tune under his breath, Felix turned to pick out an outfit for Jeongin. 

 

Jeongin's attention wandered again, this time looking around his room and concocting stories in his head. As he pictured a large dragon swooping in the window looking upon the lands of Strayare, Felix turned back and motioned for him to get up. He did so obediently, standing on his special stool to get dressed. As Felix changed his clothes, Jeongin fidgeted, playing with the buttons, hoping from one foot to the next. 

 

There was a tag on his shirt that was scratching at his back, making him try to reach over and move it, only for his hand to be slapped away by Felix. Felix straightened his outfit on last time, smiling in satisfaction. Patting his back, Felix said, “Ok young master. We're done here.”

 

Jeongin hopped off the chair and turned to look at himself in the mirror. Seeing his outfit, his nose wrinkled a little and he turned to Felix. 

 

“Lix~ why do you always make me wear this?” He pouted. 

 

“It's your formal outfit, Jeongin. Did you forget that you're going to meet the people today? The leaders from the other country are coming over too.  I need to make you look your best.” Felix ran his fingers through Jeongin's smooth hair as he answered. 

 

“Come on, let's get going.” Felix bent down to grab Jeongin's hand and led him out of his room. Although he had lived here for all 6 years of his life, Jeongin was still finding new places to hide and play in the various corners in the castle. Felix, on the other hand, seemed to know the entire layout like the back of his hand. 

 

The two headed to the dining hall, Jeongin bouncing ahead and waving at the working staff who smiled back at him, greeting the two of them. 

 

“Jeongin, you have to eat a little quicker today. After morning lessons, your parents want you to entertain the neighbouring country's Prince. You'll like him, don't worry.” Jeongin nodded absently and continued skipping along. When they came to the dining hall, a servant opened the door for them and the two walked in, Felix hurrying Jeongin when he saw the kings were already present. 

 

Once Felix got Jeongin seated, he stood behind him, posture straight. The kings greeted Felix cheerfully before turning to their son. 

 

“How was your sleep, sweetie? Today’s going to be a long day, do you think you’re up for it?” Chan smiled as his son nodded aggressively, almost messing up his neatly combed hair. 

 

“I dreamt that I was petting a dog! I wanted to continue sleeping but Lix was coming so I hid in the cupboard! I can do it! I’m a big boy.” Jeongin grinned, his parents smiling fondly at him. 

 

“Yes, you are a big boy. Now, we have to eat a little faster today because we have some matters to settle later on. Is that okay, Jeongin?” Woojin smiled softly as Jeongin once again nodded quickly. The family dug into their meals, Jeongin detailing everything that had happened the day before whilst the adults listened and laughed along. 

 

Soon after, the kings were called off to do some last minute preparations for the arrival of the other leaders, leaving Jeongin and Felix in the dining hall to finish up. After cleaning up Jeongin’s mouth and checking to ensure that he hadn’t stained his outfit, Felix brought the young boy to his tutor for morning lessons. 

 

“Morning, Jeongin! Hope you're awake. Even if you aren't, we're going to do Math today so chop chop, take out your books.” Minho grinned at the young boy.

 

Groaning, Jeongin pulled out his book from under the table. He hates Math with a burning passion, just looking at the questions gave him a headache. Minho started his lesson, whipping out a piece of chalk and going through simple subtraction. All in all, morning classes were the most boring part of the day, followed closely by afternoon classes.

 

It wasn't that Jeongin disliked Minho, on the contrary he adored him, but the things he put Jeongin through were hellish.

 

As soon as the clock struck 10am and Minho let him off, Jeongin took off through the castle. Following the path he took everyday, he reached the castle gardens. Jeongin's grin widened as he pushed open the door and stepped out into the garden.

 

“Jinnie! Where are you?” Calling out, Jeongin wandered around the garden. Hyunjin appeared from behind a bush, shears in hand.

 

“Hey Jeongin! Good to see you.” Hyunjin put away his shears and gloves before walking over and picking Jeongin up.

 

Jeongin giggled as he was bounced multiple times, out of breath by the time Hyunjin stopped. 

 

“Well, as glad as I am to see you, you don't have time today. I'll talk to you tomorrow?” Hyunjin smiled at the little boy. Pouting, Jeongin whined a little as he was put back down and pushed toward the door.

 

Still, Hyunjin relentlessly pushed him forward and he reluctantly went back into the building. Felix was waiting at the door and immediately checked that Jeongin hadn't dirtied his clothes. Letting out a heavy sigh, Felix scolded lightly, “You should've known better than to go to the garden today. Didn't I tell you that you have to look your best?” 

 

Grabbing his hand, Felix brought Jeongin along to the sitting room of the castle, where the kings had already settled. Jeongin ran over to his parents and climbed onto the couch, his parents smiling and making space for him. 

 

They waited there for a while, Jeongin playing with his father's hand while the two kings talked about something Jeongin couldn't really understand. 

 

The sound of car horns made Jeongin perk up in his seat. He hopped off his seat and headed for the window, where he peered out onto the driveway below. There seemed to be a procession in process, various horse drawn carriages littered around. One carriage in particular was more magnificent than the others, with intricate carvings and snow white horses pawing at the ground. From this carriage three people were dropped off, a couple and a child stepping out. 

 

Jeongin stared in wonder at the procession, tiny hands gripping at the windowsill. Soon enough, Felix pulled him away from the window and seated him back with his parents, who were amused by his actions. 

 

The three people Jeongin had seen step out of the carriage were soon ushered into the room and took a seat opposite the couch he was settled on. Jeongin stared at the child seated across the room, who stared back openly. The light flooding in from the window illuminated his features, his chestnut hair styled to one side, his soft chocolate eyes, his soft plump cheeks. Jeongin wanted to poke those cheeks. 

 

He was dressed up in a little white suit with a sparkly emerald brooch fastened to the front of his shirt. The two children tuned out the sound of their parent's voices, engrossed in staring at the only other child they had the chance to interact with. Sure, there were other children in the castle, but they were all too shy and didn't really want to play with Jeongin. 

 

After a while, the adults finished up their pleasantries and got up to move to another room. The children were left with their butlers and told to play with each other. As Jeongin waved to his parents, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face the other boy. 

 

“Hello! I'm Jisung and I'm 7 this year! What's your name?” He grinned. Jeongin tightened has grip on Felix's hand and replied, “I'm Jeongin. I'm 6 this year.” He had assumed Jisung was younger than him, judging by his smaller size. 

 

“Let's go explore! Binnie can lead the way!” Jisung tugged at his butler's hand, dragging him out the door. Felix stifled a laugh and followed out, an eager Jeongin also pulling at his hand. 

 

As soon as their hands were free of their guardians, Jeongin and Jisung took off down the hallways, giggling and shouting. Felix and Changbin had no choice but to run after them as they tumbled round corner after corner. Jeongin soon found the room he was looking for and pulled open the door to reveal a room filled with mannequins and rolls upon rolls of cloth. 

 

Jeongin peeked round the room till he found the tailor, bent over a piece of paper where he was drawing something. 

 

“Minnie! I brought a new friend!” Seungmin looked up from his drawing and smiled tiredly. Standing, he stretched before kneeling down to the children's level. 

 

“Hello there. I'm Seungmin, and you are?”

 

“I'm Jisung!” Jisung grinned adorably. Seungmin couldn't help but smile and pinch Jisung's chubby cheeks. Picking Jeongin up, he grabbed onto Jisung's hand and said, “Well why don't we go play outside, there's not much room in here to do much.” 

 

Exiting the room, Seungmin almost bumped into Felix and Changbin, who had finally caught up, out of breath. He smiled at them and informed them of their destination, to which they just nodded. He walked leisurely toward the garden, the two guardians trailing behind. Jeongin and Jisung were both engaging Seungmin at the same time, to which Seungmin answered easily. Felix and Changbin shared a look over how Seungmin so easily took on two hyperactive children, bonding over their exhaustion of taking care of just one. 

 

Upon reaching the garden, they were greeted by Hyunjin and Minho, who were just taking a walk around the garden. Jeongin enthusiastically introduced everyone to Jisung and the two kids tired themselves out by running around and playing. Their guardians opted to take a seat on a nearby bench and conversed on various topics. Seungmin had joined the gardener and teacher, but was pulled away by the kids for a game of catch. 

Before tea time even rolled about, the two children were exhausted and fell asleep on top of each other as soon as they were brought to Jeongin’s room. Their parents dropped by to check on them, smiling at the adorable sight in front of them.

 

The two children woke up about 2 hours later, led out of the room sleepily by Felix and Changbin. Jisung had to leave by then, waking up Jeongin enough to protest a little. His parents reassured him that Jisung could come over more often afterwards. 

 

Jeongin was brought out to the driveway and waved enthusiastically as his friend’s carriage pulled away from the castle. 

 

Smiling to himself, Jeongin gripped onto his parent’s hand, anticipating the next time his friend will come around. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. [JeongSung] Grown Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of On The Little Throne;  
> Jisung and Jeongin meet again

Humming a song under his breath, Jisung stared out of the window as the trees and houses sped past. It had been a while since he was out of the castle and the din of the villagers as they went on their daily routine was pretty refreshing. Birds chirping, the pounding of the hooves of the horses and the leaves rustling, it was like something out of a fairy tale. Jisung smiled softly at the thought of where he was going. Ever since he and his parents had visited Stayare when he was young, the trips got more and more frequent as his parents and the rulers of Stayare started discussions of becoming allies. He had grown very close to the prince, Jeongin and was excited to meet him again after going for about half a year without seeing him. 

 

He yawned a little and rested his head on the window, a little tired from his work back at home. He had stayed up till around 3 just procrastinating on his work and that came back to bite him. Closing his eyes, he soon fell into a light sleep, waking up frequently from the carriage jumping at bumpy roads. After a few hours, the attendant woke him up to say that they were arriving. Jisung immediately jumped up in his seat and started straightening his hair and clothes. The carriage soon pulled into the all too familiar driveway and stopped. Jisung hopped out of the carriage and joined his parents. Noticing Jeongin watching the procession from his bedroom window, Jisung grinned and waved, receiving a small wave back. 

 

As soon as the small party was led into the mansion, Jisung detached from his parents, promising not to hide somewhere they couldn’t find him. He bounded up the stairs to Jeongin’s room where the younger was waiting eagerly. 

 

“Hyung! It’s been so long! How’re you doing?” Jeongin grinned and pulled Jisung in for a tight hug, making him flush slightly. 

 

“I’ve been doing fine I guess. I've started sorting out paperwork as part of my 'training' to be the next king and it's pretty tiring." 

 

The two settled onto Jeongin's soft bed as they continued chatting about their lives. Jeongin had recently got a new dog he named 'Honey' who was brought into the room by a servant. The dog sniffed curiously at Jisung before dismissing him and frolicking around the room. 

 

"Hey, have you heard?"

 

"Heard what?" Jisung looked up from petting Honey to see Jeongin with a light frown on his face. 

 

"My parents told me that they might arrange a marriage for me." Jeongin mumbled. 

 

"Oh… with who?" Jisung didn't really know how to reply, seeing that arranged marriages were never a nice topic. 

 

"You." Jeongin looked Jisung straight in the eye as he said that. Jisung took a while to process what he had heard and blinked a few times. His face flushed and he smiled giddily at the thought of being together with the younger. 

 

"With… me?" Jeongin nodded, looking back down at his blanket. Jisung didn't really know how to react. Why didn't his parents tell him? He would have been ecstatic. 

 

"I mean, it's not that I don't like you, hyung. It's just… I see you as more of a brother, you know…"

 

Jisung's giddy smile wavered at this and he put on an indifferent face, not really wanting to scare away his crush. He could feel his heart dropping and a horrible feeling building up in his gut. Biting his lip, he collected himself before looking back at Jeongin. 

 

"Do you have someone else in mind?" Jeongin suddenly smiled softly and nodded, a dreamy look in his eyes. If only he felt that way for Jisung… 

 

"I've actually met this really cool guy a few months back. He's not exactly royalty but I know my parents aren't too tough on positions." Jisung plastered a smile on his face, not wanting to seem disappointed. He was happy that Jeongin has found someone, really, but it was a little hard for him to accept. 

 

"Oh? What's his name? What's he like? Tell me everything." Jisung got up and made himself comfortable on Jeongin's bed. Jeongin grinned at the opportunity to talk about his partner. 

 

"His name's Choi Chanhee. He's the son of one of the knights so he lives quite nearby. He can get pretty whiny at times but he's adorable…" Jeongin rambled on and Jisung feigned interest in the topic. Seeing Jeongin speak so animatedly about someone else made him even more sure that he had not chance with the younger boy. 

 

Before he could control himself, tears started pooling in his eyes and fell down his cheeks. Jeongin stopped suddenly at the sight, his eyes wide. 

 

"Wha-? Are you OK, hyung? Why are you crying?" Jeongin wiped Jisung's tears off. When he got to his senses, Jisung laughed a little and pushed him off. 

 

"It's nothing, I'm just proud that you could find such a wonderful person. I just feel like you've grown up." It sounded like a lame excuse to Jisung but Jeongin seemed to buy it, crossing his arms with a huff. 

 

"You scared me there for a second. And what do you even mean? You're sounding like my dad…" Jisung laughed and reached over to ruffle the younger's hair. He wiped away any remains of tears and changed the subject. Before long, the topic of love was far behind them but Jisung's heartbreak still lingered. 

 

"Oh yeah! There's a really pretty scene I want to show you. Come with me." Jeongin suddenly jumped out of his bed and dragged Jisung out of the room. They ran down the hallways, just like they did when they were younger, Jisung remembering all the times they ran around to disturb Felix and Changbin. After multiple flights of stairs, the two princes climbed out a window in the attic and settled on the roof, the cityscape of Stayare stretched out before them. 

 

The pink and purple sky complemented the serene scene as Jisung sat there staring in awe. Yellow lights were being turned on over the city as the day descended into night, the lights illuminating the scene like fireflies. The two sat there in silence for a while, just enjoying the scene. Jisung turned to say something but stopped as he saw Jeongin relaxing with his eyes closed. He had really grown since they were kids, his chubby cheeks now replaced by high defined cheekbones. The slope of his nose, the soft serene smile on his face, the way his hair was tousled by the wind all made Jisung's heart ache for him more. 

 

"Jeongin…" Said boy opened his eyes and turned to Jisung, who sat there nervously. 

 

"Jeongin, I…" Jisung was interrupted by the sound of horns indicating that it was dinner time. Jeongin tilted his head, curious as to what Jisung had wanted to say but the latter just muttered, "We should head back."

 

Jisung dusted himself off before offering his hand to Jeongin, which he gladly accepted. The two headed back to the dining hall, their hands still unconsciously linked. Their parents were there to meet them and Jisung was informed that they couldn't stay for dinner. He told his parents that he had left something in Jeongin's room and promised to meet up with them in a few minutes. As his parents left and the two princes were yet again left alone, Jisung took a deep breath. 

 

"Jeongin, I, I love you." Jisung bit his lip as he watched the younger for his reaction. Jeongin just smiled a little and replied, "I love you too hyung."

 

Jisung paused for a while, a little shocked before he realised what Jeongin meant. 

 

"No, as in… I love love you, not as a friend but as a partner." It was Jeongin's turned to look shocked and he stared at Jisung for a while. 

 

"Hyung, I…" Jisung swallowed thickly and forced a smile onto his face. 

 

"No, it's ok. I just wanted to get it out. See you next time." 

 

"Hyung! I-"

 

"Bye Jeongin!" 

 

Jisung ran away from the boy, leaving Jeongin looking lost and worried. As he ran, tears started building in his eyes but he wiped them away quickly. Arriving at the carriage, he climbed on and stared back at the mansion. He could see Jeongin standing at the main door, staring at him while panting from having chased after the older. He heard Jeongin shouting something but before he could make out the words, the carriage pulled out of the driveway. 

 

"I'm sorry Jeongin."

 

 


	8. [-] The Demon King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adventure story; 00 line go on a quest

"Hurry up Seungmin! Why do you always take so long? The dungeon is gonna close at this rate." Jisung barged into Seungmin's room, the younger rolling his eyes as Jisung bounced over to the table. 

 

"It takes time to enchant your weapons, Jisung. I told you this like 10 times this week. And we both know that the dungeon doesn't close. Stop trying to rush me." Seungmin sighed and went back to his arrows. 

 

"Those are your weapons though?" Seungmin rolled his eyes again and tossed Jisung his sheathed dagger, the latter dropping it immediately. 

 

"Anyway, I'm almost done. Just a few more minutes and I'll join you guys."

 

"Ok! I'll be downstairs eating your doughnuts!"

 

"Han Jisung!" 

 

**————**

 

After Hyunjin checked that they had everything they needed, the 4 set off for the dungeon. The dungeon had been there for a few weeks now, with most attempts to clear it failing at the higher levels. Granted, the fact that all the people who attempted it went solo also had something to do with their failure. 

 

The sun shone too brightly on the land, making Seungmin squint at just about everything. Heat waves made his sight waver slightly as sweat trickled down his back. He adjusted the bow on his back, the wood digging painfully into his shoulder. 

 

"Are we there yet?" Jisung whined. 

 

"We've only been walking for like 2 minutes, Jisung. The place is only like a 10 minute walk away." Hyunjin rolled his eyes. 

 

"It feels like we've been walking for a whole hour." Jisung whined again. 

 

"You're not making it any better, Jisung." Hyunjin sighed. 

 

This went on for some time, Seungmin and Felix trailing behind the bickering pair. Just as Seungmin was getting tired of Jisung's constant complaining, the group reached the destination. The area was deserted save the boys and they looked around in wonder. It wasn’t their first time attempting a dungeon, but this one looked more sinister and dark than any they had seen before. 

 

Hyunjin took a deep breath and turned to the others, checking with them that they had everything they needed prepared. Pushing open the heavy door, Seungmin peered in cautiously before beckoning the others in once he deemed it safe. When the last person had entered the small room, the door slammed shut behind them, Jisung letting out an unflattering scream. The others barely held in their laughter as Jisung composed himself, clearly embarrassed. 

 

They stood in the space for a while, mentally preparing themselves. Seungmin checked that his bow was in working condition and watched as Hyunjin summoned a fox he had named Ki. Seungmin always found it fascinating how Hyunjin did his thing, no matter how many times he watched him do it. Ki nuzzled Hyunjin’s hand before sitting down next to him and turning to watch the others. Once everyone was done preparing, Hyunjin looked over the group once more before opening the door. 

 

As soon as it creaked open, something barrelled towards them, making Hyunjin step back quickly. Seungmin took aim and shot his arrow just as the creature reached the door, hitting it right between the eyes. Once it was down, Felix pushed the door open wider and stepped over the body, quickly casting a buffer spell over the group. They got to work, making quick work of the creatures. Once they were done, they regrouped and went up to the next floor. 

 

They repeated this process over the levels, gradually starting to use more and more of their powers. After a particularly tiring level, the boys collapsed onto the floor wet by Jisung’s thunderstorm. Looking around, Seungmin was shocked at how messy the area was after the battle. Plants and vines summoned by Felix sprouted out of cracks in the walls and snaked over the floors. Arrows spouted from the bodies of the dead creatures and everything had been thrown around and drenched by the rainstorm Jisung summoned. They had never stayed in the battlefield for long after winning a battle so it was surprising to see the aftermath of their powers. 

 

“Seungmin! Come on, we’re going!” Seungmin snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed his bow before running after the others. 

 

“From what I heard, this next level’s going to be the last level before we reach the boss so it’s going to be tough.” Hyunjin let out a sigh. 

 

“Man, the money for this better be good…” Jisung stretched, his bones popping.

 

“I mean, if we succeed we’re going to have enough money to live off for like a month.” Felix shrugged.

 

When Jisung looked at him blankly, Felix sighed, “That’s about like 20,000 plus doughnuts.” 

 

Seungmin let out a snort at their interaction, making the others laugh too. 

 

“Ok guys, time to get serious. Don’t get hurt and Jisung, try not to attack Felix this time.” Hyunjin ran a hand through his hair.

 

“Yes boss.” Jisung giggled. 

 

They all got serious again when they reached the supposed last door, Hyunjin waiting for everyone to give the ok before opening the door. Felix immediately cast a temporary blinding spell over the enemy. The four quickly entered the ‘arena’ and started their attack. Seungmin stood in a corner, shooting multiple arrows at the stunned creatures. Explosions sounded around as Hyunjin detonated his bombs, leaving black scorch marks and piles of ashes. 

 

“Seungmin! To your left!” Before Seungmin could react, a vine wrapped itself around his waist and lifted him high off the ground, making him yelp in shock, Just a split second later, a creature charged into the space he was just standing at. 

 

Once he overcame his shock, he started shooting from his vantage point, shouting down to Felix to let him down if Felix was too tired. Felix shouted something unintelligible back before going back to his spellbook.

 

Soon enough, Seungmin felt himself sinking to the ground and he allowed himself to be put gently to the ground. Black clouds suddenly rolled over the ceiling, Jisung summoning yet another thunderstorm. Seungmin braced himself for the cold and thanked the lord that he had waterproofed his bow for fun. Wiping his wet hair away from his face, he shot some arrows before he ran for his life as Jisung brought down some lightning, singeing his hair off. Seungmin grabbed Ki off of a creature as Jisung messed around with his powers. 

 

“Hey! Be careful, you almost shot Ki there!”

 

“Oop! Sorry!”

 

As Jisung finished off the last few creatures with his dagger, Seungmin let Ki down, who shook himself off before running off to Hyunjin. Seungmin helped finish off the last standing creature with an arrow to its head before sneezing, the cold getting to his head. 

 

“I think that was a little too much rain, Jisung.” Hyunjin shivered a little. 

 

“Sorry bout that, I was a little too into it.” Jisung scratched the back of his head sheepishly. 

 

The four of them sat down to rest again, Felix having exhausted himself by carrying Seungmin for too long. Hyunjin fed Felix some food while they sat in the now quiet space, the sound of dripping water the only audible noise. Seungmin watched as Ki pranced around the room, sniffing at the corpses of the creatures. Jisung joked about something or other, bringing up the mood in the dreary room. 

 

Jisung suddenly perked up and looked around, his eyes wide. 

 

“Do you guys here that? There’s someone coming.” 

 

Sure enough, the sound of footsteps could be heard echoing down the hallway leading to the next floor. The group got to their feet, weapons at ready as they watched the door. The door flung open to reveal an annoyed teenager who glared at them impatiently. 

 

"Why are you guys taking so long? Do you know how boring it is waiting for people to come up to my level?" The stranger huffed. 

 

"Level…? You're the boss?" Jisung stared at the young teen. 

 

"Yes. Now if you'll come with me." The boy turned to walk back but tripped on the way, sending him tumbling to the ground. Seungmin turned away to laugh as the boy picked himself up, his cheeks dusted with pink. 

 

"Hey! Stop laughing!" He whined. 

 

"Sorry, sorry. You're just too cute." Seungmin smiled widely at the boy. 

 

The boy rolled his eyes before leading the group up the last flight of stairs. The top floor was sparsely decorated, with a small throne set in the middle of the room being the only prominent piece of furniture. The boys looked around the small dark room, a little shocked. 

 

“Hey, do you stay here alone? Isn’t it lonely?” Hyunjin asked the boy, staring at his surroundings. 

 

“I mean, yeah but this is my life, isn’t it? Being the demon king doesn’t really give me much choice but to stay here. If I were to go out to the village, who’s going to accept me if my identity comes out?” The young boy sighed, moving toward his chair and sitting down. 

 

The boys looked at each other before letting their gaze wander back to the younger boy, who sighed and rested his head in his hands. 

 

“Well, are you guys going to attack me now? That would be an interesting change in a while.” He smiled sadly. 

 

Jisung frowned before whispering something to Hyunjin.

 

“Could you… allow us some time to discuss something?” Hyunjin grinned. The boy blinked, confused, but nodded. 

 

“Would you guys be fine with taking this little dude in? He seems really lonely and what he says does make sense, but I think that if we are with him, he wouldn’t look too bad to the other villagers. Being alone too long isn’t good for anyone, and he seems even younger than us. Of course, we could come up with other solutions to help him if you guys aren’t too keen with him staying with us.” The others took to the idea very well, looking to the young boy who stared back at them curiously. 

 

“What are you talking about? Don’t make me wait like this.” He pouted. 

 

“So we thought about it, would you want to stay with us?” Jisung grinned at the look of confusion that spread over the younger’s face. 

 

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

 

“We’ll take you in. Staying here alone like this isn’t something anyone has to endure, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy your life much better outside. What do you say?”

 

The confused look on the boy’s face slowly changed to a grin as he took in what Hyunjin had said. 

 

“I’d like that.” He smiled cutely. 

 

“That’s a deal then… what’s your name?” Hyunjin smiled and held his hand out for the boy to grab. 

 

“Jeongin.” Jeongin grabbed Hyunjin’s hand with a wide smile, ready to see the world outside. 

  
  
  



	9. [CL] Why Don't We?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> changlix!  
> Felix is a wealthy and successful man, but he was lonely. He met Changbin, a less well off to do man and fell in love.

Sundays at the café were pretty much the only time Felix could escape from the piles of paperwork and endless ringing of the phone. Sipping at his drink, he watched in envy as a group of youths ran past the window, laughing and pushing each other along. As one of the youngest CEOs in the industry, the stress was piled high on his shoulders. For his high-paying job and respect from others, Felix had to sacrifice his youth preparing himself for work at the command of his father. 

 

Sighing, he pulled out a book and continued reading from where he stopped, soon immersing himself in the story. A tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his trance and he looked up to see a young man giving him an awkward smile. 

 

“Mind if I sit here?” Felix nodded and motioned for him to take the seat. Pretending to continue reading, he studied the young man over the cover of the book. He was dressed in a black ensemble, the only splash of colour being the bright red logo on his cap. Before he was caught staring at the stranger, Felix went back to his book, immersing himself once again. The young man also focused on his task, clicking away at his laptop. The two sat in silence, each absorbed in their own activities. 

 

After a while, the man stretched and rubbed his eyes before reaching over his laptop to get his drink, in the process knocking down Felix's half-empty cup. Before either could react, the lukewarm liquid spilt all over Felix's sweater and soaked into the fabric.

 

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" The man immediately stood up and handed Felix some tissues before wiping down the table. Felix attempted to scrub the stain out of his beige sweater but the coffee was stubborn, leaving an unsightly brown blotch on the cloth. Felix heard the young man curse under his breath as it became apparent that the stain wasn't coming off.

 

"I'm really really sorry, I can bring it to the dry cleaners if you want." 

 

"No no, it's fine. It's not that important that you have to take it to a dry cleaner." Felix smiled politely, a little miffed that he had stained his favourite sweater. 

 

"No, your sweater is expensive right? I insist, at least let me wash it for you." 

 

Seeing that the young man wasn't going to let Felix refuse his offer, Felix sighed and nodded. The young man breathed a sigh of relief at this and began to pack up his things, Felix merely staring at him, a little confused. 

 

"Let's go then." Felix snapped out of his daze and a small "huh?" tumbled out of his lips. 

 

"I'm going to go wash your sweater before the stain stays there forever. If we leave it there for longer, it'll be harder to wash out." The man cracked a smile as Felix scrambled to get his possessions together. He followed the young man as they walked, presumably to the man's home.

 

They walked in an awkward silence until Felix grew uncomfortable and spoke up. 

 

"So, what's your name?" The young man looked up from his phone and smiled a little.

 

"I'm Changbin. And you?"

 

"Felix. Lee Felix."

 

The man's eyebrows shot up, having recognised the name.

 

"Lee Felix? As in the young businessman?" Changbin studied Felix curiously.

 

"Yeah, you know me?"

 

"Of course! You're all over the news being the youngest CEO in the country. What are you, 21?"

 

"20, actually."

 

"20?! Man I thought you were my age, not younger. What is it like, being so successful at such a young age?" Changbin tilted his head.

 

Felix was a little annoyed at how everyone always looked at him in envy at the mention of being successful, assuming that his life had been all rainbows and sunshine. 

 

"It's not that great, really. My father pushed me to focus solely on my studies since I started school. It's stressful to say the least, it's not easy having to manage a whole company by yourself, and there's the expectations people have of me just because my father is a successful businessman." His words came out a little more sharp than he had wanted. 

 

Changbin noticed Felix's change in tone and sighed, "Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed anything. It's just, it's amazing how you're able to have your life all sorted out at this age."

 

Felix visibly softened a little and shook his head, "I shouldn't have gotten defensive either, sorry about that." 

 

The two continued on in an uncomfortable silence before coming upon an apartment building. Changbin led Felix into the building and up to his apartment.

 

"Oh, I don't really clean up, sorry about the mess." Changbin grinned sheepishly as he led Felix into his apartment. Every surface was littered with papers and stacks of books, the two boys manoeuvring through it like it was a minefield. Changbin motioned for Felix to sit on the couch, to which he complied and he watched as Changbin picked up start pieces of paper and pushed the stacks together, making the place look much less cluttered. 

 

Once he had put away his things, he turned to Felix and stretched out a hand, raising an eyebrow. Felix had to think about what it was he wanted before he realised and took off his sweater, handing it to Changbin. Changbin went off to the kitchen and started rifling through things. 

 

"So, you're doing music?" Felix broke the silence. 

 

"Hm? Oh yeah. I'm studying it at university and have a small job at the nearby recording studio. How'd you guess?" He returned from the kitchen with a basin of cold water and some detergent. 

 

"Your books and scores give it away." Felix smiled at the small "oh yeah" from the older man. Changbin set to work on the sweater, putting it in the water and letting it soak. 

 

"Oh yeah! I should have gotten you a drink right? Uh…, you can help yourself to anything in the fridge, though there isn't much there." Changbin pointed with his head to the kitchen. 

 

"No, it's fine." Felix watched as Changbin scrubbed at the material, the stain slowly fading to a lighter colour. 

 

"So, what's doing music like? I actually wanted to do it but you know…" Felix picked up a stray piece of paper and looked through the notes and staves. 

 

"It's all good! It's a lot of work but I love music, so that makes it pretty fun. Of course, there are times when I can't come up with anything and it frustrates me to no end. Oh, but I have made some real good friends through this so that's a plus. Overall, it's tough but I love doing it." Changbin smiled at the thought, his gaze still on the sweater he was scrubbing. 

 

Felix hummed, closing his eyes as he leant back in the chair. The two relapsed into silence before Changbin put on some music, softly singing along to the tunes. Changbin's melodious voice mixed beautifully with the flowing melodies and quickly lulled Felix into slumber. 

 

When he awoke, Felix blinked in confusion, taking in the unfamiliar setting. He adjusted his position, the blanket draped over his shoulders falling into a heap on his lap. He stretched, his muscles sore from staying in the same position for too long. 

 

"Morning Felix. Care for some chicken?" Felix turned, his eyes still half-open. Changbin sat at the table, chewing on a drumstick, the washed sweater draped over his chair. 

 

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I'll get out of the way soon. Thanks for washing my sweater." Felix snapped up from his sitting position and walked over to grab his sweater. 

 

"No really, I already bought another set for you. I can't finish all this by myself." Changbin grabbed Felix's wrist and motioned to an untouched box on the table with his half-eaten drumstick. Felix stood there for a while, eyeing the box and looking back at Changbin, who waited expectantly. 

 

"I insist." Changbin offered a small smile. 

 

Felix sighed in defeat and sat beside Changbin, who continued devouring his chicken. Opening the box, the sight of the chicken made him realise how hungry he was and he was soon eating happily. 

 

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I could have been out of your hair a long time ago." 

 

"You just looked so tired, is all. Figured I would just let you sleep. You're probably sleep-deprived, what with all the business you attend to. It didn't hurt me to just leave you be." Changbin smiled softly. 

 

"Oh… thank you, Changbin. And thanks for the food." 

 

"You're welcome! Hey, just curious, you said earlier that you were interested in music right? Would you mind giving me some feedback on my music?" 

 

"Your music? I would love to hear it!" Felix's interest piqued at this, leaning closer as Changbin wiped his hands and brought his laptop over. He watched as Changbin navigated through a labyrinth of files and selected one to play. 

 

The beat started up and Felix was soon absorbed in the song, bobbing his head to it unconsciously. The two sat there listening to the music for half an hour, Felix commenting as best as he could after each masterpiece blessed his ears. 

 

"Wow. You're… amazing." Unable to think of a better word at the moment, Felix grinned, at which Changbin just smiled back shyly. 

 

After they chatted for a while, Felix stole a look at the clock and jumped. 

 

"I'm so sorry, I should be heading back now. See you around, I guess." Felix smiled as he grabbed his wallet to pay for the chicken. 

 

Felix held out a note, at which Changbin just stared at, seemingly confused. 

 

"What's this for?"

 

"You know, the chicken? You don't have to pay for it, just washing my sweater is good enough." Felix still held out the note awkwardly. 

 

"Oh, it's fine, really. If anything, I would rather you treat me to a drink another time?" Changbin raised his eyebrow. 

 

Felix blinked before nodding slowly and keeping the note. 

 

"Then… I'll see you next week at the café?" Changbin smiled. 

 

Felix nodded absently, not really knowing where this was headed. The two exchanged phone numbers and Felix left soon later with a small smile gracing his features. He hadn't talked with anyone casually since he started his business, especially not about music. Felix had just made his first friend after what seemed like forever. 

 

**——**

 

The two got along well, to say the least, meeting every Sunday at the café where they first met and chatting or just sitting in silence, doing their own things. Changbin talked a lot about his friends and his life as a music major while Felix mainly complained about the stupid things his employees did. The two often chatted for hours on end and only parted ways when the café closed shop. 

 

Felix grew rather fond of Changbin, always brightening up when he received a message or a call from said man, buying small gifts for him and being overall much more cheerful. His employees had noticed his change in disposition and those closer to him started teasing him to try to get him to tell them what happened. 

 

"Why are you smiling at your phone like that again?" Eric scrunched his nose as he tried to get a peek at Felix's screen. 

 

"Eric! Can you knock before coming in?!" Felix scrambled to put his phone down and shot a glare at said man. 

 

Rolling his eyes, Eric put down a folder he was holding. 

 

"I DID knock, you were just too preoccupied to notice, boss. Anyway, here are the papers you asked for. You really should get started on your paperwork rather than stare at your phone all day. See ya!" Eric turned and left, bowing once before closing the door. 

 

Felix sighed and turned his eyes to the stack of papers on his desk. He really should get started. He was preoccupied as he started reading the papers and signing wherever needed, checking his phone one last time before focusing on the task at hand. He had arranged to visit a dog café with Changbin and he was excited beyond words. 

 

A knock came on his door after about an hour and he mumbled a "come in" without looking up. He glanced up once he had finished the sentence he was writing and looked at Eric curiously. 

 

All traces of mischief was gone from the boy's face, instead replaced with a polite smile, meaning someone on business had come to visit. 

 

"Mr Lee, your father would like to see you," Eric announced before stepping aside and allowing the older man to enter the room. Once his job was done, he bowed again and left the two, closing the door behind him.

 

Felix was frozen in his seat, a little unsure of what to do as they both regarded each other. The last time he saw his father had been over two months ago and hadn't ended well, with his father demanding he try harder with trying to buy over shares of another company. Felix had tried on multiple occasions, but the CEO of said company was relentless and refused every attempt. The meeting hadn't ended well, with Felix's mother having to step in and Felix storming off in frustration. 

 

Felix put on his most genuine looking smile and stood to greet his father, his father merely nodding, his face stern. 

 

"What brings here today, father?" Felix took a seat opposite his father and nodded as Eric came back in to serve two cups of tea. 

 

His father picked up the cup and stirred it around, the clinking of the spoon the only sound in the room as Felix fidgeted with his suit, a little nervous. 

 

"I see you still haven't obtained a share of the Glactose Company yet. When are you going to do it? You know this investment will reap great benefits in the near future, yet you don't try to pursue it?" His father sat back on his seat, watching Felix over the rim of his cup. 

 

"Father, I-" Felix started before his father held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. 

 

"I know you have tried, but it's not enough. You don’t seem to understand the importance of this, all I ask is that you do what you need to secure the future of the company. You will have to do what it takes to convince Mr Lee to let you buy the share for a reasonable price. Is that too much for you?” His eyebrow twitched, obviously annoyed by his son’s failed attempts.

 

Felix bit his lip and countered, “I understand the importance of this, but Mr Yoon is unrelenting, father. What he asks for is too much for me to do and as much as I would do to obtain the share, what he demands would be a restriction of my freedom, and I am not prepared to give up more of that.” 

 

“Nothing should come in the way of your company. You’ve already dedicated so much to your company, you should just go all the way in securing your company’s success.” His father calmly set down his cup. 

 

“What he demands is a little too much, father. He wants me to get married and settle down to show that I can be stable and have a family to pass on my company.” Felix gritted his teeth, trying to get his father to see how unreasonable it was to obtain the share.

 

“Then so be it. Isn’t that a good thing? It is important to pass on the company, I will not have your hard work going to someone who is not tied closely to our family.” 

 

Felix sat back in his chair, exasperated. How could his father see marriage as such a small thing? Felix was a romantic and couldn’t share the view of marrying for business. After a small silence, his father sighed and checked his watch before excusing himself and seeing himself out. Before he left, he once again urged Felix to get the share as soon as possible, Felix just closing his eyes and rubbing at his temples.

 

After contemplating the problem for a while, he stood up, frustrated. Leaving his untouched cup of tea on the table, he just about stormed out of his office, grabbing Eric on the way out. Eric hadn’t been eager to leave the office, being up to his neck with paperwork but the promise of free food soon dragged him out, despite not knowing what was going on. 

 

“Where are we going? What happened? It’s not like you to suddenly leave work like this.” Eric peered curiously at Felix, who ushered him into his car. 

 

“I’ll tell you later, I just need to clear my head.” He started the car and the two sat in silence, Eric turning up the radio after a while. Over a meal of hamburgers at the nearby fast food restaurant, Felix poured out his heart to Eric, who listened intently. Once he was finished, Felix sat back in his chair, a little less stressed after having lifted the burden a little. Eric hummed, his head tilted to the side as he thought over what Felix had told him. 

 

“I know your father is stressing you out, but it’s ultimately still your choice so he can’t force you to do anything. What about you just get the shares once you get married of your own free will? Wouldn’t that work out for both of you? Oh, how about the person you’re always smiling about?” Eric sipped from his milkshake.

 

Brows furrowed, Felix thought about it before coming to a conclusion, “I’m not too sure how long the share will be up for grabs so if I wanted to do that I would have to find someone quickly. And about that person… I don’t think he would be up to my father’s standards. You know how he is, he would probably only allow me to see someone in my circle, some other successful person.” 

 

Raising an eyebrow, Eric inquired, “How did you even meet this person? You rarely talk to anyone outside our business partners and the like.” 

 

“In the caf é I always go to. He spilt coffee on me and offered to wash it for me.” Felix smiled a little at the memory of their first meeting. Eric grinned at the story, hitting Felix on the arm playfully, “That’s such a clich é, I didn’t even think those kinds of things happened in real life.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Felix hit Eric back before the two laughed it off and the conversation steered away from the topic. When they headed back to the office, Felix already felt much better, more ready to take on his father. Starting on his paperwork again, he blocked out the thoughts of his father and the shares, focusing solely on the work in front of him. By the time he looked up again, the sun had already set and the city was already becoming sleepy, lights turning off all over. Turning his eyes to the stack of paperwork still on his desk, Felix sighed and decided to call it a day, stretching a little before packing up his things. Walking through the deserted building, he yawned loudly, sleep already creeping upon him. 

 

Bidding goodbye to the night guardsman, Felix quickly drove home, wanting to collapse in his bed. As he trudged toward him home, he noticed someone sitting outside his door. When he recognised the person, his eyes widened and he rushed up the stairs to his house. Changbin was slouched outside the door, sleeping peacefully. 

 

Tapping him on the shoulder, Felix woke Changbin up, who looked at him sleepily. When he realized where he was, he snapped awake, nearly missing hitting Felix on the head. Smiling sheepishly, he explained his situation. He had flooded his apartment when he left the tap on as he rushed off to school. Smiling slightly, Felix let Changbin into his house, who looked around curiously.

 

“Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve gotten the landlady to help you open the door.” Felix set down his bag and stretched. 

 

“I have, you didn’t answer.” Felix blinked and looked down at his phone, the blank screen staring back at him. 

 

“My phone died, I didn’t notice. Sorry for keeping you waiting so long.” Changbin just smiled tiredly, shaking his head. 

 

“Why did you come here though? If you had to wait so long, why not go over to another friend’s house?” Changbin’s head popped up, a sheepish smile forming on his face. 

 

“I guess I never thought about that…” Felix laughed quietly before handing some clothes for Changbin to change into. The two quickly got ready to go to bed, taking turns to use the bathroom for a quick shower. Changbin headed over to the couch with a blanket before Felix stopped him as he was about to take off from the bedroom. 

 

“Where are you going? My bed’s big enough, we could… share? I mean, it’s fine if you’re not comfortable with it…” Felix trailed off, trying to push down the heat rising to his face as he realised what exactly he was suggesting. 

 

“If you’re fine with it, I won’t mind.” Changbin yawned before flopping onto one side of the bed. Felix turned off the lights before getting into the other side of the bed, back facing Changbin. Soon enough, his eyelids dropped and he was fast asleep.

 

**——**

  
  


Felix awoke with a shock, quickly sitting up in his bed. He looked around his dark room wide-eyed, sweat clinging onto his brow from his nightmare. He turned when he heard Changbin shuffle beside him and open his eyes sleepily. 

 

"What's the matter?" 

 

"I- nothing, I had a nightmare." Felix tried to keep his voice steady. 

 

"You ok?" Felix nodded and slumped back into the bed, not wanting to worry Changbin. 

 

For the next few minutes, Felix lay still, his eyes squeezed shut. He jumped when arms wrapped around him from behind, encasing him in warmth. 

 

"Hyung, what are you doing?" 

 

"Hugging you. I can see how tense you are so calm down and go to sleep." One hand went up to ruffle the younger's hair. 

 

Letting out a sigh, Felix settled into Changbin's embrace, involuntarily relaxing in the warmth. He felt a light pressure on the back of his head before Changbin whispered something inaudible. Closing his eyes again, Felix found he could sleep much better. 

 

**——**

 

By the time Felix opened his eyes, a yawn escaping his lips, Changbin had vacated from the house, a note explaining he was going to check on his apartment. Sipping on his coffee, Felix scrolled through his phone to pass the time. He had forgotten it was a public holiday, with Eric having to remind him not to come to work. He didn't really have plans for the day and decided to just laze around all day, seeing it had been a while since he rested properly. It was around noon when a knock came to his door and he popped his head up from looking at his phone. Sighing, he got up lazily and stumbled over to the door, opening it quickly when he saw the familiar face through the peephole. 

 

"Hey! How's your apartment?" Felix gave a small smile and let the shorter man into the house. 

 

"It's still a little drenched, so I need to hang out somewhere else." Changbin sighed, "About that, I made plans to go out with some of my friends and I was wondering if you would like to come along? They probably can't wait to meet you, they've been bugging me since I told them about you."

 

Felix raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously, "You've been talking about me?"

 

"I- are you going to come or not?" Changbin spluttered, face heating up.

 

With a giggle, Felix agreed and went to his room to change into something more presentable. The two set off for the destination talking and laughing, soon reaching a stretch of small shops. Changbin was called over by a group of guys, Felix looking over at them curiously. 

 

He could about recognise each of them by what Changbin had told him about them, the shorter one being Jisung, the blonde one Chan and the tall lanky one Hyunjin. He followed Changbin shyly, not knowing what to do with himself. 

 

"Hello, you're Felix, right?" The man he dubbed Jisung grinned at him, pulling him away from Changbin. 

 

"He's talked a lot about you, always droning on about how nice and understanding you are." Hyunjin giggled a Changbin punched his arm. 

 

Felix just smiled awkwardly and allowed himself to be dragged off by Jisung. The group headed toward one of the restaurants lining the street, Felix quickly being welcomed into the group and peppered with various questions. 

 

"So, how'd you crack Bin so easily? He's usually quite hard to get close to him." Chan took advantage of Changbin's having to use the bathroom to ask. 

 

"Is he? I've never felt he was very cold, he's always been very open to me…" Felix was a little shocked. 

 

The others exchanged looks and Jisung grinned, "Seems like he really likes you. It took me like 3 months for him to even give me his phone number." 

 

Felix tilted his head, not sure how to react to what his new friends were suggesting. 

 

"Do you think he like, likes me?" Felix swallowed thickly. 

 

"In a romantic way? Probably, but you have to ask him yourself, we can't be sure of what he feels." Chan smiled encouragingly. "You seem like a good match for him, we'll support you."

 

Felix sat back in his chair and let out a deep breath. It was going way too fast for him. Changbin soon came back to the table and looked at his friends questioningly when he felt the weird atmosphere. The others quickly moved away from the topic, leaving Felix to brood over it quietly. 

 

When they had all finished their food and the others bid them farewell, Felix and Changbin wandered along the stretch, seeing no reason to return to their apartments. 

 

"Hey, did they say something weird to you earlier? You were pretty quiet during the whole meal. It's not that you're shy right?" Felix looked up from the puppy he was cooing at and tilted his head.

 

"Was I that quiet? Sorry I was a little preoccupied… They didn't say anything weird, don't worry." Felix gave a reassuring smile.

 

Changbin hummed in response, not really satisfied with the answer but not wanting to press it. They continued to look at the puppies for a while more, Felix, getting a little uncomfortable with the awkward silence, observed Changbin from the corner of his eye. He didn't seem concerned, humming to himself as he watched the puppies with a smile. 

 

"Hyung, can I ask you something?" Felix continued staring at the puppies, aware of the older's gaze on him.

 

"Yeah, what is it?"

 

"Uh, earlier your friends said that you liked me, is that true?" Avoiding all eye contact, he mumbled out.

 

Changbin let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair. 

 

"What have they been gossiping about…"

 

"So it's not true?" Felix tried to hide his disappointment as he looked up at Changbin through his eyelashes.

 

"I mean, I do, but they don't have to spread it-" Changbin muttered under his breath.

 

A slow smile spread on Felix's face and he grinned at Changbin, who this time was looking away. Felix sighed happily and shyly linked his fingers with Changbin's. Changbin turned to him, eyes wide. Seeing the grin on the younger's face, he relaxed and squeezed Felix's hand. 

  
  


**——**

  
  


"What are you so nervous for? Is your father that against me?" Changbin watched as Felix fretted around, making sure that Changbin looked as presentable as he could. 

 

"I don't know, he isn't very open to people who are less well off, thinks I should marry someone at the same standing as me." Felix made a face. 

 

"Oh he can't be that bad, I'm sure he's like that for your own good. I'll just show him how much I love you and he'll relax. It'll go fine!" Changbin grinned and planted a peck on Felix's cheek, making the younger blush. 

 

"We better get going soon, it'll take a while to get there." Felix turned away quickly, trying to hide his red cheeks. 

 

By the time the two reached his parents' home, Felix was jittery and nervous, unsure of how his father would react when he introduced Changbin. Changbin had tried to calm Felix down, but nothing seemed to work very well. Felix walked up to the door stiffly, taking a breath before he rung the bell. 

 

He visibly softened when the door opened and his mother's kindly face broke into a grin. He was engulfed in a hug quickly and could barely get out a "Hi mom" before he was dragged into the house, Changbin following behind awkwardly. The two were seated on a sofa and sat talking to Felix's mother as they waited for his father to arrive. 

 

When he did, the mood quickly became less relaxed, Changbin feeling as if he were in an interview instead of just a visit. 

 

"It's nice to meet you, Changbin. I will just have you know, I'm not willing to allow anyone less than successful to come into my family line. So, what do you do?" Changbin blinked, a little taken aback by Felix's father's bluntness. 

 

"I- I work as a music producer." Seeing the quirk in the older man's eyebrow, he quickly added, "I assure you, it is a very promising career. Making music may not seem very professional, but it provides many opportunities for success, especially here in Korea." 

 

Despite his best efforts, Changbin was unable to move the father's stoic face, the latter merely nodding and moving on to another subject. Changbin could now see why Felix was so anxious earlier. Felix, noticing how tense Changbin was, carefully slipped his hand into the older's and gave it a little squeeze. 

 

His father started his interrogation, trying to put Changbin in a spot. Changbin carefully dodged all the bullets, answering fluently and confidently. It was a side Felix had never really seen before, and it made him admire his partner even more. 

 

"Last question, why do you like Felix?" Felix blinked and almost stood up to protest when Changbin placed a calming hand over his. 

 

"I love Felix for many reasons. Firstly, he's obviously very hard-working. No matter what he has to do, he'll do for his company. I think that his determination is really admirable, and it motivates me to do even better in life to get to par with him. Next, he's incredibly cheerful and friendly. Even though he has so many responsibilities and no doubt tons of stress piled onto his shoulders, he never shows it. He stays happy for the sake of those around him, and that just goes to show his kindness as well. Felix is very modest and humble, which I always admire, especially in someone as successful as your son. He is always looking for ways to improve and never hesitates to ask for critique and suggestions from his team. Felix can also be very goofy, which I love. He knows when to be serious, and when he can have fun, which is always a very important thing to know how to do. Your son is amazing, and I'll do anything for him." Changbin finished his statement with a smile.  

 

Beside him, Felix sat rooted, tears welling in his eyes. His father sat back in his chair, thinking over what Changbin had said throughout their conversation. 

 

"You'll pass, for now at least." Felix's father gave a tight smile and pat Changbin on the back, the latter breaking into a grin and thanking him profusely. The two left soon after bidding goodbye to Felix's parents. 

 

"I told you- are you crying? Oh my god, did I say something wrong?" Changbin jumped. 

 

"No, I'm just- really touched." Felix gave a watery grin and hugged Changbin, who relaxed when he was sure Felix wasn't hurt. 

 

"I told you it would be fine. I love you too much to let your father between us." Changbin let out a sigh and smiled, leaning up to give Felix a soft kiss. 

 

"I love you."

 

"I love you more." 

  
  



	10. [WC]Missing Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> woojin finds his missing piece.

It had been hard. Finding his old friends and asking around for someone's number was more difficult than he had expected. He hadn't given up, though, and here he was, staring at the newly saved contact on his phone. After having a staring match with his phone, he finally mustered up the courage and pressed the call button, his phone immediately playing a ringtone. He watched his phone intently, listening as it rang once, twice, thrice. When the call ended with an automated voice and beeping, Woojin sighed, a little disappointed. Switching over to his messaging app, Woojin composed a message, deleting the whole block of text and restarting every few seconds. When he finally finished typing out something he was partly satisfied with, his phone started ringing, making him panic and drop it. Wincing at the loud thud as the phone connected with the floor, Woojin quickly picked it up to see who was calling, the name making him freeze on the spot. After taking a few deep breaths, he answered the call, an unsure "Hello?" slipping from his lips. "Hello, this is Chan. May I know who's this? I just got a missed call so I figured I would call back." The voice from the phone brought back memories from years back, making Woojin smile at the fond memories. "Oh yes, this is Woojin, your friend from university? I just wanted to reconnect and I got your number from Jisung." "Oh my god, Woojin? It's been too long! How are you doing? We should really meet and catch up sometime soon!" Woojin was grinning to himself at this point. "I've been fine, it's really been too long, it's too hard to talk over the phone like this. I wouldn't mind meeting up, when are you free? Are you still living near the university?" "Nice! I'm free on Friday afternoon, got the day off. Yeah I'm still around that area, would Minho's café be alright?" "Minho has a café?? Man I really need to catch up with everyone. Tell me the name I'll go search it up, but it should be fine if it's around the area. How about 3pm then?" "Sounds good! I'll message you the café. See you then!" Woojin could practically hear Chan grinning from the other end. After the two discussed some more, Woojin hung up, a grin spread across his face. Dropping his phone onto the couch, he hid his face into a cushion, internally squealing like a fangirl. After calming himself down, he sat smiling idiotically to himself, reminiscing about his university days. He had met Chan in his math class when Chan forgot to bring his whole bag to class and had to keep asking to borrow something from Woojin. It had ended with Woojin sharing all his supplies and Chan buying him a drink as thanks. They had quickly became the best of friends, Woojin finding solace in Chan's silly and caring character. Chan had helped Woojin through the worst of university life, be it stress from finals, heartbreak from a relationship gone bad or just when Woojin was feeling down. Woojin would like to think that he did the same for Chan, always trying his best to help his friend. Soon enough, Woojin had realised his feelings for the boy. Seeing him smile was enough to brighten Woojin's day, he absolutely adored listening to Chan rant about whatever was on his mind, and when Woojin started spacing out just staring at Chan's face, he had to do something about it. He buried his feelings deep, knowing that avoiding Chan would just arouse suspicion from said boy. He tried his best to act normal, that nothing had happened, even when Chan introduced his girlfriend and started spending less time with Woojin. In the end, Woojin had tried to confess his feelings, but never really got around to doing it, the opportunity never presenting itself. After they graduated, Woojin and Chan slowly drifted apart, messages becoming less and less frequent, to the point they no longer wished each other well on their birthdays. Of course, Chan stayed on Woojin's mind everyday and it hurt to say the least. He had tried to move on and even had a few lasting relationships, but they never felt as fulfilling as the one he had with Chan. He felt alone. And now, just hearing Chan's voice over the phone was making him feel happier, the way they just clicked and continued talking like they hadn't been separated made Woojin feel special, complete. Meeting Chan again was a whole other level. He felt like he was in love again, his steps halting as he stopped to study Chan more closely. He had died his hair blonde and styled it to one side, giving Woojin a better view of his perfectly sculpted face. His hazel eyes were fixed on his phone, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he watched a video, amused. After making sure his hair was in place and his clothes were straightened, Woojin took a deep breath and approached Chan. "Chan!" Woojin called out, heart almost stopping when said man turned to him and grinned. Standing up straight, Chan engulfed Woojin in a bear hug, pulling away soon after to smile at him. "It's been way too long! How've you been? I see you haven't really changed much." The two started walking to their destination, both excited and bubbly. "I've been better, it's really nice to meet you again! Yeah, nothing really interesting has happened since we last met, so meeting you again may be the peak of my year." Chuckling to himself, Woojin grinned broadly as the blonde continued the conversation, going on about how his life had changed. Woojin didn't really know why he felt so comfortable and fulfilled when he was around Chan, but he was, and he hoped that never changed. Something about Chan's presence put him at ease, making him relax and really be able to look at the world around him. The reason Woojin could truly appreciate everything was because Chan was there to point out all the positives and everything, and it always reassured Woojin to know that he had someone by his side. Lots of fond memories came back as they talked into the night, reminiscing about the good old days with their group of friends. Everyone had gone their separate ways and although they still kept in touch, it had been a while since Woojin saw any of them, other than a coincidental encounter. As Woojin watched Chan talking animatedly about something or other, his heart swelled, a fond some forming on his lips. When Chan took a pause in between his story, Woojin took the chance. "I know this may sour the mood a little, and it's a little random, but watching you and just interacting with you is making me feel too much, I just have to tell you. I love you, ever since you talked to me back in university, I've always felt so comfortable and understood with you around. I know this is really sudden, but I just had to get it out." Woojin let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, glad to finally let his feelings out. Chan gaped at him, unsure of what to do at the sudden confession. With a shy smile, Woojin continued, "I've been missing something all these years and finally, I've found it. Will you complete me?" Chan broke into a grin, laughing in pure joy as he grabbed Woojin's hand. "Yes, definitely."


End file.
